Having finally severed ties with the European Union, the UK’s relationship with the continent looks a little different in 2021. One of the major changes to impact education will be the way in which UK schools recruit teachers from the EU.

As of 31 December 2020, EU teachers must undergo the same immigration processes as those coming from non-EU countries.

So, what does this mean for schools in the UK?

According to research by the Office for National Statistics in 2019, EU workers provide a significant benefit to the British education system. Approximately 12 per cent of school staff in England were born outside the UK, rising to 32 per cent for schools in London.

Since the 2016 Brexit referendum, however, the number of EU applicants for qualified teacher status (QTS) has fallen by a dramatic 35 per cent. In the context of a teaching recruitment crisis, it is essential that schools offer as much support as possible to EU teachers moving to the UK.

To make the process as easy as possible, our recruitment guide sets out the rules, costs and legal hurdles involved in hiring EU school staff.

Recruiting EU school staff post-Brexit

Please note that none of the guidance applies to Irish citizens, who are free to move and work in the UK.

1. Immigration

EU Settlement Scheme

For EU citizens living in the UK before 31 December 2020:

• Any EU citizen living in the UK by 31 December 2020 can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme, which will allow them to continue living, working and studying in the UK without having to apply through the points-based immigration system.
• It is free to apply, and the deadline is 30 June 2021.

Points-based immigration system

For EU citizens not living in the UK before 31 December 2020:

• As part of the points-based system, EU citizens must apply for a Skilled Worker visa.
• Employers must check a job applicant’s right to work in the same way as now until 30 June 2021. After this date, they must check the applicant meets the Skilled Worker visa requirements.

Skilled Worker visa 

EU teachers can apply for a Skilled Worker visa up to three months before they start work in the UK under the following conditions:

• The school is licensed by the Home Office to sponsor the applicant, and has offered them a job.
• The teacher can speak, read, write and understand English.
• The role pays at least £20,480 pro-rata or the relevant minimum rate for teachers in England, whichever is higher.

Sponsor licences 

• The employing local authority, multi-academy trust or school must apply to be a sponsor.
• Eight out of 10 applications must receive a response in less than eight weeks. 
• The licence will be valid for four years, provided the employer meets the requirements of a sponsor.

Costs for the employee:

• The visa costs £610 for stays up to three years, and £1,220 for more than three years. There is a reduced fee for roles in short supply, such as secondary-level maths, physics, computer science and mandarin teachers.
• The EU teacher must pay the healthcare surcharge at £624 per year.

Costs for the school:

• Sponsor licences cost £536 for small or charitable sponsors, or £1,476 for medium to large sponsors. 
• There is also an “immigration skills charge” which schools must pay when employing overseas applicants for more than six months. This ranges from £364 to £1,000. However, institutions sponsoring a higher education teaching professional are exempt from the charge.

Other types of visa that do not require sponsorship 

• The Graduate visa, valid for two years, is for students who have successfully completed their degree in the UK. This includes initial teacher training at universities.
• Youth Mobility Scheme visa, valid for two years, for people aged between 18 to 30 from certain countries, with savings of at least £2,530. See eligibility criteria here.
• Family visas and UK ancestry visas.

2. Recruitment 

Schools are still able to recruit using their preferred recruiter and traditional channels.

To help schools with the additional costs of recruiting from overseas, the government has set up the International Teacher Recruitment Programme (England only) to help with shortage subjects.

International Teacher Recruitment Programme

• State-funded secondary schools and academies in England can get help to recruit maths, physics, computer science, general science, and modern foreign languages teachers from a select few countries.
• Teachers recruited through the programme will be qualified in their country, and screened to meet safeguarding and quality requirements to teach in England.
• Appointed agencies will provide schools with support and advice in the recruitment process, including on candidate selection, interviews, contracts and visas.

• The DfE will fund recruitment costs and acclimatisation packages.
• Schools must cover the teacher’s salary, supply cover costs during the recruitment process, sponsorship costs, and DBS checks.

3. Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)

Schools and recruiters must make potential EU employees aware of the four-year rule and Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). 

The four-year rule 

• EU teachers can teach in schools in England without QTS for up to four years.
• The rule applies to those who have qualified and trained as a teacher in a country outside of the UK, and are employed in maintained schools and non-maintained special schools.
• Teaching assistants and specialised instructors are exempt from the four-year rule, and parental leave is not counted. 

Obtaining QTS 

• Teachers from the EU can apply for QTS if they have a teaching qualification from an EU country and can provide a letter of professional standing from the relevant regulating body.
• Successful applicants will not need to carry out further training or serve a statutory induction period.
• Unsuccessful applicants must complete a course of initial teacher training in England in order to get QTS, or take the assessment-only route.
• It can take up to four months to process the QTS application. 

4. Additional information

Safeguarding

• Applicants for teaching roles from the EU must undergo the same checks as UK school staff, such as an enhanced DBS certificate. 
• The DfE encourages schools to carry out additional checks which take into account an applicant’s record abroad, such as overseas criminal record checks.

Covid travel restrictions

• Schools and EU applicants are advised to check international travel restrictions and to keep up to date with UK travel advice and self-isolation requirements.
• Teachers affected by travel restrictions can contact the coronavirus immigration help centre. 

For any queries on recruitment of EU citizens not covered by this guide, UK schools should contact the government’s educators’ helpdesk.